Thailand: the student sling continues, new demonstration against the Prime Minister
The great novelty of the pro-democracy protests in Bangkok is the critique of the monarchy.
Mladen ANTONOV / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
New day of mobilization in Bangkok with the departure of the procession in front of the Democracy Monument, in the city center.
Since July, the youth in Thailand demanded the departure of the Prime Minister and the overhaul of the Constitution which grants very broad powers to the army.
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Anger has been building up for a year and a half and the legislative elections of 2019. At the time, Thai youth voted en masse for a political party: the New Future Party.
This movement then promises to restrict the powers of the
army
and strengthen civil liberties.
He becomes the voice of the under 30s, the hope of a generation which has always lived under the yoke of the military.
But the
elections are locked
and it is the head of the junta, Prayut Chan-o-cha, who becomes prime minister.
Today, students are demonstrating with the same slogans: the end of impunity, the dissolution of Parliament and the revision of the Constitution.
However, there is a major novelty: since this summer, they also denounce the
principle of the Thai monarchy
.
Until now, it was a taboo subject, and criticism of royalty was done out of sight.
Now, the demonstrators dare to demand that the King of Thailand renounce some of his privileges.
Royalist counter-demonstration
Several tens of thousands of people are expected this Wednesday in the streets of Bangkok.
But in the camp opposite, the royalist factions warned that they would in turn organize a counter-demonstration.
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To listen: Young Thais revolt against the monarchy and demand reforms
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